1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus of information recording media, in particular, optical information recording medium such as an optical disc (i.e., a so-called “Digital Video Disc”, etc., into which digital video/audio information can be recorded, and also to a recording/reproducing apparatus of information recording media, including such optical information recording media such as a DVD-RAM (i.e., a so called Digital Video Disc-Random Access Memory), etc.
2. Description of Prior Art
In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-219086 (1997), there is disclosed or described an example of a conventional reproducing apparatus of an optical disc.
The optical disc reproducing apparatus of the conventional art has a function of detecting an identifier which is an inherent information for each of the optical discs and obtainable from the data of the recorded information thereof so as to identify it, and a function, a so-called “last memory” function for memorizing position information of the optical disc, whereby the video/audio information is recorded into a last memory together with it, when a last memory instruction key is pushed down.
In such the reproducing apparatus of the optical disc, after being mounted or set with an optical disc therein, the identifier of the optical disc is detected and decided whether to be coincident with that which is memorized into the last memory or not. In a case where it is detected that they are coincident to each other, then the reproduction is started from a continuous reproducing position upon an instruction for reproduction generated from the last memory on/off operation key, while the reproduction is started from an original starting position or beginning if there is no such the starting instruction for the reproduction from the last memory on/off operation key. Further, if it is impossible to detect the fact that they are coincident to each other, the reproduction is started from the original starting position (i.e., from the beginning) with regardless of the operation on the last-memory on/off operation key.
However, in such the conventional art, the position information of the optical disc recording the video/audio information therein, at the time when the last memory instruction key is pushed down, is memorized into the last memory together with the identifier information, upon the operation of the last memory instruction key, therefore there is not guarantee that the identifier information and the position information of the disc at which the reproduction is made are certainly memorized into the last memory in any occasion.
For instance, if the power supply is abruptly turned OFF (i.e., interrupted) or is cut off (i.e., stopped) under bad condition of electric power supply source, further, if a power bottom is erroneously turned CFF because of forgetting the operation of the above last memory instruction key, the identifier information and the position information of the disc at which the reproduction is made are lost. Therefore, there is a problem that the continuous reproduction cannot be obtained even if the power source including power supply is turned ON again.